Articles Posted in Car Accident

You just finished your Sunday morning shopping, the parking lot is jam-packed, and after navigating the store that was as equally crowded you are more than ready to get home and finally relax. You carefully back out of your parking space, noticing at the very last second that someone with a grocery cart has suddenly appeared right behind your car. Luckily, you hit the brakes in time and no one is hurt. You are finally on your way out of the parking lot madness when THUD…someone backing out of their space rammed right into the side of your car. The passenger door is seriously dented, your mirror is gone, but you and the other driver are okay.

This scenario plays out in parking lots across Chicago every day and in most cases the damage is minimal and injuries are rare.

In parking lot accidents, the traffic lane (with vehicles that are not parked and driving through the aisles) has the right of the way. Thus if a person was backing out of a parking space when a collision occurred, the driver backing out will most likely be held liable.

Continue reading

These days, it may seem like a new automobile recall is being announced every week, and with good reason: over the last few years, more recalls have been issued than at any time in the past. Many motorists have found that the cars they own have been recalled multiple times for unrelated issues that range from the minor to the severe, leaving them wondering just how safe any car on the road may be.

Now, in two new recalls, Ford has announced that approximately 283,000 vehicles will need to be serviced to be safe.

The first recall affects roughly 81,000 Ford Explorer SUVs and Police Interceptor models in North America manufactured between 2014 and 2015. These vehicles have a problem with the rear suspension that could lead to fracturing resulting from poor welds. The other recall focuses on 202,000 cars, pickup trucks, and SUVs with a faulty transmission. These vehicles include 2011 Ford F-150 pickup trucks, 2012 Ford F-150 pickup trucks, 2012 Ford Expeditions, 2012 Ford Mustangs, and 2012 Lincoln Navigators. Officials state that a flaw in the transmission can cause the unit to downshift unintentionally, potentially leading to car accidents or other collisions.

Continue reading

There are thousands of components that comprise a modern automobile and they range from the very small to the very large. Some of these parts serve a critical purpose, like a steering wheel, while others function more as a luxury, like a radio. With so many parts to a car, it is impossible to keep a close eye on every single aspect of a vehicle at every moment you drive.

However, some features deserve your attention both before you are in the car and while you are moving, and one of the big parts of a car that should be monitored but is often overlooked is a vehicle’s tires. Tires serve to support a vehicle’s load while also transmitting traction and braking capabilities from the car to the roadway, allowing a driver to control acceleration, deceleration, and direction. Tires also absorb road shocks and can be a determining factor in whether or not a car accident happens in Chicago.

Continue reading

After a relatively mild winter, Chicago experienced a late snow storm yesterday and into this morning which brought with it icy and snowy conditions, ensnarling the normal commutes that Chicago is known for. In fact, some of the southern suburbs and into northwest Indiana still had blizzard warnings this morning which have mostly expired. The total snowfall experienced varies dramatically depending on where you live but the outcome was the same – poor conditions led to a more difficult day for those in Chicago.

Reports related to the weather’s fallout are still coming in but at this time, numerous car accidents and other traffic collisions have been confirmed and some are believed to have caused injuries.

Continue reading

Whether or not you drive in Chicago, odds are that you understand that vehicles must stop for red lights. Not stopping for a red light will allow a vehicle to enter an intersection when it is not safe to do so, often at the expense of oncoming traffic which may be subjected to a car accident just because of the first driver’s refusal to stop on red.

With the purpose of red lights considered to be common knowledge even among very young children, you might be tempted to think that this rule is rarely, if ever, violated and that almost all drivers stop whenever they face a red. But the reality is far different from that thought with hundreds of thousands of collisions happening every year simply because someone failed to stop on red.

Continue reading

In 2015, auto manufacturers broke a record by selling 17.5 million cars and light trucks, a 5.7 percent increase over the 2014 numbers. That means that millions of families not only shopped for a new vehicle but they made the decision to purchase one for any number of reasons. In addition to the new cars that made their way into American homes, used cars were also sold and although those numbers are difficult to conclude, officials believe that 42 million used cars were bought and sold in 2014.

Perhaps you were one of the millions of Americans that traded in your ride for something new, or perhaps you are considering doing so in the near future. Whatever your position in life is right now, it is possible that you will need a vehicle to help you get around at some point soon. If you will be buying a car, truck, or SUV, it is important to keep in mind that in addition to the aesthetics of a vehicle and its comfort, the safety features offered by that car should be considered.

The technology boom of recent years has flowed into automobile manufacturing and the results have created several new features that may save your life or prevent a car accident if you happen to drive in the Chicago area. Among these features are:

Continue reading

Automobiles in the United States must be registered to the owner of the car for many reasons. This registration process also allows manufacturers to notify owners in the event that a recall happens and a vehicle needs to be serviced or repaired, thereby providing for a direct means of communication with those most likely to be affected. However, there are concerns that not enough drivers are being alerted to the recalls that cover their cars and as a result, many motorists continue operating vehicles that may be dangerous or defective.

To combat this lack of information, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched a new campaign called Safe Cars Save Lives. The point of the campaign is to encourage drivers to check open vehicle recalls at least twice a year to learn whether any issues exist related to their cars. If recalls are identified, owners are encouraged to get the needed repairs as quickly as possible and if an immediate service is not possible, drivers should contact an authorized repair agent to determine whether it is safe for them to continue driving in the interim.

Continue reading

Once again, the weather forecast for the greater Chicago area is calling for snow showers this morning, a part of winter that most residents are used to but that many dread. Snow can be pretty and can make outdoor activities like skiing possible, but it can also be dangerous to the safety of those who must move about the city. From covering roads and expressways to making sidewalks icy, snow can be frustrating to deal with at any point in the winter.

Yet snow can be manageable and car accidents can be avoided if all drivers act in a reasonable manner. If you will be driving today or if you might drive in the snow at some other point in time, keep the following tips in mind so that you can help prevent winter weather car accidents:

Continue reading